Senior Bowl Q&A: CB Devin McCourty

Ed Thompson

01/27/2010

Devin McCourty watched his brother Jason make the leap from Rutgers to the Titans last year. Now, as one of the nation's top cornerbacks, it's his turn to show NFL coaches why he'll be a valuable addition to their roster. Scout.com's Ed Thompson caught up with talented cornerback in Mobile.

Ed Thompson: Devin, what's this experience been like for you so
far?

Devin McCourty:
It's been moving pretty fast. Coming in and filling
out tests and paperwork, then getting a chance to play footfall.
It's been fun.

Thompson: You had to be excited to have the pads
on and to be able to mix it up a bit.

McCourty: Definitely.
Once we got through the first period and all the nerves went out, it
was almost like you were back playing in college.

Thompson: Talk a little
about your game. Why do you believe you'll be successful in the NFL?

McCourty: Just being
able to do a lot of different thing on the field. In addition to playing
corner, I love playing
special teams. And in college, I've been able to make some plays on special
teams. I'm just going to use what I've learned throughout
my college years and try to translate it into the NFL level.

Thomson: You're a pretty scrappy cornerback who likes to be physical
out there. Who are some of the NFL cornerbacks that you've watched and tried to pattern your game after?

McCourty: Darrelle Revis. I watched him play before when we played
Pittsburgh.
So, he's definitely a guy I continue to watch.

McCourty's feisty approach to his position turned this apparent completion into an incomplete pass a second later.AP Photo/Rich Schultz

Thompson: What do you like most about playing football?

McCourty: The competition.
Each week you get out there on the field and you face a different person. Just
going out there competing and wanting to win every little battle within the
game.

Thompson: What's your early take on taking direction from some NFL coaches?

McCourty: It's good
just to be able to sit in with the NFL coaches and understand how they're
teaching us and learning new things.

Thompson: Tell me a
little bit about your family background and how you became the person
you are today.

McCourty: I give that credit to my mother.
She raised three kids as single mom because my father passed away when I was
young. She taught me, my twin bother and my older brother so much about
life and how you have to work hard for everything you want to do.

Thompson: Your twin brother is Jason McCourty, who just finished his
rookie season with the Titans. Talk about the dynamic of being a twin and
.

McCourty: It's special.
Just being able to talk to him about football and all we've shared growing up together and going through
some of the same things. We consider ourselves kind of even when it comes to playing football.
But it's a big advantage for me that he's already gone through this. The knowledge and information he's given me about the
next level has helped me get ready.

Thompson:Rutgers has
turned out some pretty good football players. One of the most prominent ones is
Gary Bracket, the middle linebacker for the Colts who was an undrafted free
agent who worked his way into a starter's role. Have you had a chance to meet him?

McCourty:
Yeah, I met Gary a few times. Gary kind of got us started off at Rutgers, and now
we have guys following in his footsteps into the NFL, just getting
in there, keeping their jobs, and playing well.

Thompson: What do you
think is going to be your biggest challenge as you try to make the leap?

McCourty: I guess the
change in scenery and personnel. Going into a new environment; just like when
you leave high school and go into college.

Thompson: Did you have
any favorite NFL teams growing up?

McCourty: I was a big Cowboys fan, probably because my older brother and uncle
loved the Cowboys. So they kind of forced it on me as a young kid (laughs). But
now I'd be happy to wear any jersey in the NFL.